


the faint light of tomorrow

by malachibi



Category: In Other Lands | The Turn of the Story - Sarah Rees Brennan
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:13:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21839524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/malachibi/pseuds/malachibi
Summary: A tale of Elliot Schafer and his two best friends getting stuck on our side of the border and attending high school for a year, told entirely through Elliot's letters thrown through the border wall and Elliot's visits to the principal's office.
Relationships: Elliot Schafer & Serene-Heart-in-the-Chaos-of-Battle & Luke Sunborn
Comments: 7
Kudos: 72
Collections: Yuletide 2019





	the faint light of tomorrow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shotboxer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shotboxer/gifts).



> Happy Yuletide! Written off the prompt of "Does Eliot ever find a way to get his friends over the Wall into the world of his birth? What would happen if they were somehow stuck and had to go to *our* version of high school for a year?"
> 
> I wrote it for American high school because I'm unfortunately not familiar with British high school, and also because I felt like Elliot would have more to complain about in an American high school. 
> 
> Set in... an extra year, I suppose, taking place before the year they do the school play.

Elliot kicks his heels against the wall until the secretary is glaring at him, and then gives her his brightest, most innocent smile before going right back to kicking.

If they're going to keep him waiting, he's going to make it as unpleasant as possible. 

Finally, she gets a call, and after murmuring into the phone a bit, she hangs up and turns to him. 

"Mr. Schafer, the principal will see you now."

Elliot gets to his feet slowly, making sure to stretch until her gaze turns from merely annoyed to annoyed bordering on murderous, and then ambles into the principal's office. 

"Mr. Schafer," the principal says, rearranging some papers on his desk. 

He doesn't immediately follow that up, and Elliot hates the sound of silence, so he fills in the gap for himself. 

"Have you actually been busy for the last thirty minutes, or is the waiting supposed to be some kind of punishment? Because honestly, I think you're punishing Mrs. White more than me with that move."

"You've been sent in because you mouthed off to one of your teachers," the principal tells him, still without looking up. 

"I'm aware," Elliot says slowly, "considering the teacher sent me down to the office after telling me he was doing so because I was mouthing off."

Now the principal does actually look up, and he sighs. "Mr. Schafer, I need you to understand that your position is already rather… unsteady. When you were arrested for truancy, the understanding was that you needed to attend school and make an honest effort of it."

"I am making an effort of it," Elliot points out. "It's just that Mr. Jackson doesn't seem to know what he's talking about."

"Mr. Jackson is an adult with a degree in—"

Elliot's already got his mouth open to cut him off when the intercom buzzes, and both of them pause. 

"Sir, there are two students here to see you," Mrs. White says over the intercom. "A Mr. Sunborn and a Miss… Chaos-Battle?"

The principal sighs, rubbing at his chin with one hand. 

"You can go, Mr. Schafer," he allows, and Elliot's quick to scamper out of the room and back to his friends. 

—

[A letter found in the Borderlands, attached to a large rubber circle with grooves along the outer edges]

If you find this letter, please deliver it to the Borderlands Camp, preferably to Captain Woodsinger!

Captain Woodsinger,

I assume you haven't gotten my last couple letters, so I'll repeat the situation. We found the Wall to cross as directed, but once we passed through it, we were unable to return. Objects can go through, so I've been attempting to send letters in hopes that they'll get to you.

Please send help, preferably in the form of three plane tickets back to England. We're being forced to go to an American high school, and it's terrible.

I've enclosed the address of the school and the phone number you can reach us at (though we're currently sharing a phone, so who knows who will pick up. Probably me, as Serene and Luke both seem rather uncertain around technology still.)

Wishing for a quick response,  
Elliot Schafer

—

"Mr. Schafer, the principal will see you now."

Elliot stomps into the office and stands at the open side of the desk instead of taking the seat this time. 

"I'd like to lodge a complaint about the anti-bullying policy you have in place," he says. 

"Bullying is not tolerated at this school, Mr. Schafer," the principal informs him. 

"Is it fair to give the bully and the victim the same punishment, though one acted on spite and the other in self-defence?" Elliot wants to know. 

"We do not allow fighting at all. Since your friends both threw punches as well, they're all suspended for the next week."

Elliot crosses his arms over his chest, lifting his chin a bit for maximum effect. "I will be taking this matter to your superiors," he says loftily, and heads out of the room without being dismissed. 

—

[Found in the ocean in a glass bottle labeled PEPSI, outer note has been translated from the mermish tongue to common]

To the lovely mermaid who finds this, please deliver this to the Borderlands camp, care of Commander Woodsinger.

Commander,

The situation is getting more dire. We've been suspended from school again on the grounds that you can't suggest a duel to the death with a fellow student, and you especially can't show up for the duel with a rapier you borrowed from the fencing club. I, of course, was aware of this, but Serene was not. 

If plane tickets are not possible, perhaps a boat would do? I don't think there are mermaids here but I suppose a boat would be tolerable even so. 

Best,  
Elliot Schafer

—

"The vice principal will see you now," Mrs. White informs him. 

Elliot nods, standing up, and then pauses. "Wait. The vice principal?"

The secretary just points towards the opposite side of the office as the principal's door, and Elliot shrugs and heads that way. 

"Elliot?" the woman inside confirms, and gestures towards the seat in front of her. "Please, have a seat."

Cautiously, Elliot moves into the office and takes the offered chair. 

The woman on the other side of the desk reminds him a lot of Captain Woodsinger, which is a lot better than the principal reminding him of Commander Whiteleaf. 

"I understand you've had some problems… settling in," she says. "I'd like to change your fourth period to an independent study."

That's a lot better than what he normally gets when he's sent to the office, and he frowns suspiciously. 

"What's the catch?" he wants to know. 

She smiles slightly. "You have to tutor."

"That's a tremendously bad idea," he tells her. "The last time I tutored a set of kids, most of them went home crying and didn't come back."

"Ah, but I'm only asking you to tutor two people. I'm also pulling Luke Sunborn and Serene Chaos-Battle out of their fourth periods as well, and I want you to help them keep up with their other classes."

"That doesn't sound like a catch at all."

"Well, if you haven't improved by the holidays, the principal would very much like to approve your transfer to a military school instead."

Elliot laughs, long enough that the vice principal starts to look a little worried. 

"I'll take it," he decides. 

—

[Found by a harpy on patrol, attached to a large piece of fabric on some kind of frame with a handle. The fabric is brightly coloured, and the device seems useful for staying dry in the rain. Outer note is written in Elvish and translated to common.]

Please deliver this note to Commander Woodsinger at the Borderlands camp. Or any Sunborn, but preferably Rachel. Or a member of the Chaos-of-Battle family. Or the grouchy medic at the camp, if the other options don't work.

To whoever gets this,

It's getting awfully cold here, and we'd really like to come back to camp now. Please send three plane tickets at your earliest convenience. I've enclosed our address and phone number, again. 

Luke likes the snow, you'll be delighted to know, but Serene is not happy with it. The holidays are coming up, and with it, a winter break. We've managed to save up enough for one very cheap plane ticket through odd jobs, but we're hoping to do some extra work while we aren't in school. 

If you aren't Commander Woodsinger, please deliver this note to her once you're done reading. If you're a Sunborn or a Chaos-of-Battle, please send Rachel Sunborn or Sure-Aim-in-the-Chaos-of-Battle a note letting them know where we are. 

Hoping this letter actually makes it through,  
Elliot Schafer

—

Elliot waltzes into the vice principal's office without bothering to wait for someone to actually let him in. 

Luckily, she seems more amused than annoyed. 

"Elliot, how nice to see you. I'm assuming you're here to tell me that you didn't start the snowball fight today?"

"Oh no, I absolutely started the snowball fight," Elliot tells her. "I was actually here because I wanted to ask to continue the tutoring sessions. I think they're really helping--"

"--except for the snowball fight--" she interjects.

"--and I saw Mr. Jackson on my course schedule for this semester, and I'm pretty sure none of us want that," Elliot says, smiling his brightest, most innocent smile. 

She studies him for a moment, and then sighs and reaches for what looks like a piece of scrap paper. 

"Let me see how I can rearrange your schedules," she offers. "I can't promise anything, but I'll try."

"That's all I ask for," Elliot replies, and beams at her. 

\--

[Found by Michelle Sunborn at the Southeast Tower camp, attached to a brightly coloured round object, identified as a 'beach ball' by other soldiers stationed there. The letter was delivered as requested.]

Please deliver this letter to Commander Woodsinger at the Border Camp.

Commander Woodsinger, 

Good news - it appears that Americans also get the summers off, so I think we'll be able to save up the rest of the money we need by the end of the summer. 

Still, we don't want to stay that long if we can help it, so if you're able to send help earlier than that, please don't let my news stop you. 

Have you ever had a snowball fight? I'm still not sure I like the concept, but Serene and Luke had fun. 

Maybe we should consider having more recreational activities at camp. Perhaps a nice musical would do, or a break from sword lessons to recite poetry instead. Just a thought. 

Hoping for a response,  
Elliot Schafer

\--

Elliot enters the office and sits down with a sigh in the chair waiting there for him. 

Across the desk, to his eternal delight, is Commander Woodsinger instead of the vice principal, since the office in question is firmly located in the Otherlands. 

"Tell me the exact location of this Border crossing you went through," she orders.

"Only if you promise that the next person who goes through it will have enough money to afford a plane ticket home, if they get stuck like me."

"The next person who I _send_ through it will be outfitted properly for emergencies, yes," she replies. "I'd very much like to know how you got stuck, but experiments can wait until you're old enough not to get picked up on truancy charges."

Elliot gives her his most winning smile. "I'd appreciate that, Commander. Now, if you don't mind… I hear Adara is planning to put on a play, and I'd very much like to be a part of it."

Commander Woodsinger sighs, and waves a hand. "Go ahead."

"And can I just say, I'm absolutely delighted that you decided to take some of my suggestions into account, in regards to recreational activities," Elliot continues, even as he gets to his feet.

"The musical awaits, Cadet," she prompts. 

"Though I'd really recommend making it mandatory. You know, I think a lot of the war course students could really benefit from--"

"Schafer," Commander Woodsinger interrupts, sounding exasperated now. 

It's a fond sort of exasperation, though, so Elliot just smiles at her again. 

"I missed you too," he informs her, and heads out of the room to go convince Luke and Serene to do the play with him.

\--


End file.
